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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The safest way to learn ARC Raiders is to treat every deployment as an extraction problem, not a shooting contest. Choose one or two objectives, carry a cheap loadout with room for salvage, locate an extraction point early, and leave while you still have stamina, healing and a backup route. Loot only becomes useful after you extract it.
The temporary PvE matchmaking test running October 13–20, 2026 removes player-to-player damage, but ARC machines remain dangerous and loot value is reduced. Use that window to learn routes and complete quests—not to assume the game is risk-free.
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What you are trying to accomplish in a raid
ARC Raiders is an extraction adventure set on a future Earth threatened by mechanized ARC machines and rival Raiders. You deploy with equipment, search the surface for quest items, materials and valuable salvage, then try to reach an extraction point and escape. A successful extraction converts what you found into progression. A death can erase the unsecured part of that run.
That creates four competing priorities:
- Survival margin: healing, shields, ammunition and enough stamina to disengage.
- Mobility: a pack weight and route that let you sprint, reposition and reach extraction.
- Objective value: quest items, workshop materials and items needed for your next upgrade.
- Loss exposure: how damaging it would be to lose this particular loadout and haul.
Use those four axes whenever you choose between a heavier weapon, another container, a longer detour or an earlier extraction. The highest-value raid is not the one with the fullest backpack; it is the one whose important items reach your stash.
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Is ARC Raiders PvE-only?
No. The normal experience is PvPvE: ARC machines are environmental threats, while other Raiders can also attack, steal opportunities or use the same extraction routes. The official game description presents Raiders as competing survivors, so a peaceful first encounter does not guarantee that the next one will be friendly.
Embark Studios is running a temporary PvE matchmaking test from October 13 through October 20, 2026. During the test, player-to-player damage is disabled, solos, duos and trios are mixed together, overall PvE loot value is lower, and Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate and Redirection are unavailable. The toggle is not a promise that a permanent PvE mode will be added.
Embark reported that its 2026 player segments were 37% friendly co-op players, 27% mixed players and 34% pure PvP players; 51% of the surveyed player base expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option. Those figures describe the survey and the discussion around the test, not a guarantee about the final mode lineup.
Build a forgiving first loadout
Your first deployments should limit the cost of mistakes while preserving enough capability to complete an objective and escape. A simple ranged weapon, a close-range backup, two ammunition stacks, one health kit and one gadget provide a practical baseline. Keep about 30% of your inventory capacity open for salvage rather than filling every slot before launch.
Recommended beginner kit
| Slot or decision | Beginner choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Main weapon | Simple ranged weapon | Lets you handle threats without committing to close range. |
| Backup | Close-range weapon | Provides an answer when an enemy reaches your position. |
| Ammunition | Two stacks | Enough for selective fights without consuming the space needed for loot. |
| Healing | One health kit | Preserves a recovery option after an unavoidable hit. |
| Utility | One gadget | Supports disengagement or a specific objective without overloading the pack. |
| Inventory | Roughly 30% free | Leaves room for quest items and high-value salvage. |
Use a Free Loadout while learning
A Free Loadout or similarly inexpensive kit supplies a main weapon, ammunition, bandages, a shield recharger and utility items. It reduces the financial impact of a failed experiment, so use it while you learn extraction locations, ARC patrol behavior and the distance between points of interest. Move to more expensive gear only when your route and escape habits are reliable.
Protect items that are hard to replace
Move rare loot, Raider Hatch Keys, quest items and expensive crafting materials into the Safe Pocket as soon as you find them, when the item is eligible. This does not make the entire haul safe, but it prevents one death from deleting the pieces most likely to block a quest or upgrade.
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Plan the raid before you deploy
- Read the quest board. Select one or two objectives that overlap geographically. Initial quests direct you toward useful areas and establish your early progression path.
- Pick one primary point of interest. A nearby location is easier to learn than a cross-map route with several unknown transitions.
- Identify an extraction point immediately. Extraction pads rotate between deployments, so do not assume the location from your previous raid remains active.
- Choose a fallback exit. Keep a second extraction option in mind in case the first is occupied, too distant or surrounded by ARC activity.
- Set a leave condition. For example, extract as soon as you have the quest item, a needed workshop material or a nearly full bag. A clear condition prevents greed from replacing the original objective.
Route planning is risk management. A short path with one known extraction is often better than a longer route that promises more containers but consumes stamina, healing and time. You can increase route difficulty after basic ammunition, healing and workshop materials are stable.
Move across the surface without wasting your escape tools
Keep stamina for disengagement
Stamina is an emergency resource. Sprinting continuously may save seconds between buildings, but arriving empty at an extraction fight leaves you unable to break line of sight or cross exposed ground. Travel at a controlled pace when no enemy is pursuing you, and holster your weapon while it is safe to do so. The reduced ready posture can make movement less burdensome and helps preserve your ability to run when it matters.
Respect encumbrance
An overloaded pack slows movement and increases stamina pressure. That turns every extra low-value item into a liability: you are easier to catch, slower to reach the extraction countdown and less able to reposition around ARC fire. When the bag becomes heavy, compare the next item against the value of surviving with what you already have. Drop low-value scrap before you risk the entire haul.
Use points of interest as controlled stops
Start with one nearby point of interest and learn the safest path out before exploring further. Open containers and corpses for experience even when the bag is full, but take only items that serve the current quest, workshop plan or immediate survival needs. Once the required item is secured, leaving is usually a better decision than searching every remaining container.
Choose fights instead of accepting them
ARC machines
ARC patrols are not just targets; they are alarms, ammunition costs and potential magnets for additional danger. A fight can attract other machines or Raiders, consume healing and force you away from your planned extraction. Bypass a patrol when the objective does not require combat. If you must engage, do it from a position that leaves a clear retreat rather than from a dead end or an exposed route to the extraction pad.
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Other Raiders in normal PvPvE
Assume another Raider may become hostile, even if the initial interaction appears cooperative. Avoid unnecessary noise, watch likely approach routes and do not reveal your position merely to collect a low-value container. When a rival team is already fighting ARC machines, the safest choice may be to wait, reroute or leave with what you have instead of joining the battle.
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When combat is worth the risk
- The enemy blocks the only practical route to a required quest item or extraction.
- The fight protects a material that directly unlocks your next workshop or Gunsmith step.
- You have enough ammunition, healing and stamina to disengage if a second threat arrives.
- The expected objective value is greater than the loadout and loot you would expose by staying.
If none of those conditions apply, bypassing the encounter preserves resources for the part of the raid that actually wins: extraction.
Loot efficiently and protect your backpack
Take objective items first
Quest items, workshop materials and items needed for an immediate recipe outrank generic scrap. Put rare loot, Raider Hatch Keys and expensive crafting materials in the Safe Pocket as soon as possible. Keep the remaining inventory flexible so a single high-value find does not force you to discard a required item.
Use a simple value test
- Is the item needed for an active quest?
- Will it unlock or materially advance a workshop or Gunsmith upgrade?
- Does it support immediate survival, such as healing or ammunition?
- Is it rare enough to justify carrying it through a dangerous route?
If the answer to all four is no and your pack is heavy, leave it behind. Repeatedly carrying low-value scrap is one of the easiest ways to turn a successful raid into a slow, exposed walk.
Never recycle quest items prematurely
After extraction, recycle nonessential items to supply crafting and facility upgrades, but keep quest items until the relevant quest is complete. A material that looks redundant may be the exact item needed for the next hand-in, and recycling it can force another risky deployment.
Reach extraction before the raid becomes a rescue mission
- Confirm the active pad. Extraction locations rotate between deployments; verify the current one rather than following a memorized route.
- Start early. Do not wait until the bag is full or your health is low. You need time to reroute if the pad is contested.
- Approach with resources. Keep enough stamina, healing and ammunition for the countdown and a possible fight.
- Check the surroundings. Look for ARC patrols, rival Raiders and a retreat path before committing to the extraction area.
- Use the fallback exit if necessary. A second extraction is more valuable than a few additional containers.
- Drop low-value scrap when overloaded. Regaining mobility can save the entire haul.
Extraction is the point at which loot becomes progression. If the bag contains the quest item or material you came for, do not let the promise of one more container erase the value already secured.
How the temporary PvE test changes your decisions
The October 13–20 test removes damage from other players, which lowers interpersonal risk but not environmental risk. ARC enemies remain lethal. Loot value is also lower, so a PvE deployment is strongest for learning routes, practicing extraction timing and completing quests rather than maximizing credits.
Downed during the test
ARC enemies can reacquire a downed player after an eight-second grace period if the player moves. If you are downed, staying still is safer until help arrives; moving can trigger reacquisition after that grace period. This rule matters even when no human opponent can damage you.
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What the toggle does not include
The temporary test mixes solos, duos and trios, and it excludes Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate and Redirection. Because the test is temporary, do not build your long-term assumptions around its loot values, matchmaking mix or map availability.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Convert a successful extraction into lasting progression
First priority: finish the initial quests
Early quests provide direction and teach which areas matter. Complete them before chasing rare upgrades unless a specific material is required to unlock your next major capability.
Second priority: establish healing and ammunition
A stable stockpile of healing items and ammunition increases your survival margin on every later deployment. Without that reserve, a single bad encounter can force you into an expensive loadout or an under-equipped raid.
Third priority: build and improve the Gunsmith and workshop
Use extracted materials to construct and upgrade the Gunsmith and other facilities. These upgrades unlock better gear and recipes, making future raids more forgiving. Recycle nonessential loot to feed those projects, while preserving quest items and rare materials in the Safe Pocket when possible.
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Then invest in mobility and utility
After basic healing, ammunition and workshop materials are stable, prioritize mobility and utility options that improve repositioning, extraction access and recovery from mistakes. These upgrades increase the number of situations you can escape without requiring a direct fight.
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Comparing a safe route, a quest route and a high-value route
| Route type | Survival margin | Mobility demand | Objective value | Loss exposure | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safe learning route | High | Low to moderate | Moderate | Low | Learning extraction pads, patrol patterns and stamina management. |
| Quest route | Moderate | Moderate | High for active objectives | Moderate | Completing initial quests and collecting a specific material. |
| High-value route | Lower unless heavily prepared | High | Potentially high | High | Later raids after healing, ammunition and workshop supplies are stable. |
Choose the route that matches your current objective and the cost of failure. During the PvE test, the safer route gains value for practice, but the reduced loot value makes it less suitable for maximizing credits. In ordinary PvPvE, increase the loss-exposure rating whenever the route passes through a popular extraction or contested point of interest.
A practical first-three-raids plan
Raid one: learn the exit
Use a Free Loadout. Select one nearby point of interest, collect any objective item that lies on the route, and locate the active extraction pad before searching deeply. Avoid optional fights. Your success measure is not a full bag; it is learning the path out while preserving enough stamina to sprint.
Raid two: overlap a quest and a workshop need
Read the quest board and choose an objective that overlaps with a material needed by the workshop or Gunsmith. Bring the same inexpensive kit, keep about 30% capacity open and place any rare or quest-critical item in the Safe Pocket. Extract as soon as both goals are met.
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Change only one thing: a different extraction, a slightly longer route, a new utility item or a more dangerous point of interest. Keeping the rest of the plan stable tells you whether the change improved mobility, objective value or survival margin. If the experiment fails, return to the known route instead of escalating equipment and risk at the same time.
What to do after a death
- Identify the failure category: ran out of stamina, overfilled the pack, took an avoidable fight, misread extraction, or lacked healing and ammunition.
- Replace only what the lesson requires: a lighter pack for encumbrance, an earlier exit for greed, or a cheaper kit while relearning a route.
- Check the Safe Pocket habit: rare loot, Raider Hatch Keys, quest items and expensive crafting materials should have been protected whenever possible.
- Repeat a shorter raid: rebuild basic supplies with a low-risk route before attempting the same high-exposure objective.
Do not respond to a lost haul by carrying a more expensive kit into the same uncorrected situation. Change the decision that caused the death first.
Quick Recap
Beginner checklist
- Choose one or two overlapping quest objectives.
- Bring a simple ranged weapon, close-range backup, two ammunition stacks, one health kit and one gadget.
- Use a Free Loadout while learning.
- Keep roughly 30% inventory capacity open.
- Put rare loot, Raider Hatch Keys, quest items and expensive crafting materials in the Safe Pocket.
- Locate the active extraction and note a second option.
- Keep stamina available for disengagement.
- Bypass fights that do not protect an objective.
- Drop low-value scrap if weight threatens mobility.
- Extract as soon as the raid has delivered its planned objective.
- Finish initial quests, maintain healing and ammunition, then upgrade the Gunsmith and workshop.
- Use the temporary PvE test to practice routes, not to assume ARC threats or loot rules have disappeared.
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